The Fly is
probably the most common insect in the world of
Caelereth. This insect has usually two
wings and two enormous eyes on its head. Flies are commonly thought to be vile
and dirty, and this is true, for Flies are quite dangerous, carrying horrible,
sometimes fatal, diseases. For this reason they and their larvae, known as
maggots, are often associated with death and plague. However, they can also be
quite helpful to plants by carrying pollen from flower to flower.

Appearance.
The Fly tends to be a rather small insect on most accounts, but, depending upon
the species, can vary between only a few grains in length to nearly 8
nailsbreadths long. In most all species of Fly, however, the body is split into
three main segments: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The body is covered
in a thin, elastic sort of shell from where fine hairs protrude. Most Flies have
dull black, gray, brown, or yellow bodies, but some may indeed be quite
beautiful colors such as a shiny green, and golden yellow, or a deep
Santharian purple. Some seem to sparkle in
the shades of mithril or brass.

The Fly has two giant (comnpared to its size) compound eyes that cover most of
its oval or triangular-shaped head. Some male Flies have eyes so huge that they
actually squeeze together while females have eyes that are farther apart. The
Fly’s head also has two antennae that warn it of danger and aid it in finding
food. The antennae are located near the center of the head, usually between the
eyes. The size and shape of these antennae vary greatly among species. Some have
long, threadlike antennae whilst others have an elegant, feathery pair. Most
researchers believe that these antennae are extremely sensitive and may even be
able to sense cár’áll, but none are
really sure.

The "mouth" of the Fly looks like a funnel, the broadest part near the head.
This tube-like appendage is called the proboscis. Flies do not bite or chew
food, though some may be able to inject their proboscis into a victims skin to
drink blood. Often times this causes the victim's skin to swell and become
irritated. Most scholars believe that the Fly injects some saliva into the
victim to keep the blood from clotting. However, not all Flies drink blood.
Fruit Flies have different mouthparts to aid them in their search for food. They
have two, soft, oval-shaped parts that they use like a sponge to lap up liquids.
Mouthparts of Flies differ greatly depending upon the species.

Flies in general have six legs, which extend from the thorax. These legs often
have two joints and claws on each end to help them cling to flat surfaces such
as walls or ceilings. Some Flies have a sticky residue on their feet that allows
them to stick to smooth or slipper surfaces on windows or mirrors.

The wings also connect to the thorax, and are so thin that the veins can be seen
in them. These veins both seem to carry blood to the wings and also helps to
stiffen the wings for flight. Unlike many insects, the Fly does not have hind
wings, but rather small weights in their place that help to balance and guide
the Fly, making it easier to dart quickly and easily in any direction. Flies do
not glide or land the way other insects do. A Fly beats its wings until its feet
find something to land on. If a Fly is picked up such that its legs and wings
are free, its wings will immediately begin to beat.

The abdomen is often the largest segment of the Fly’s body, and contains most of
the inner organs.

Special Abilities.
The special abilities of the Flies vary, but the species as a whole is amazing
in their ability to survive in almost any climate. Flies are also unique in that
they are perhaps the most dangerous of all pests known. They carry germs both
outside and inside their bodies, sometimes in their fine hairs or on their legs.
When a Fly “bites”, or touches an object, it leaves germs behind it. They can
carry dangerous, even deadly, diseases, both in people, animals, and plants.
People have since discovered ways of helping to stop Flies. Certain oils or
treatments will kill them. Also, getting rid of stagnant
water will limit the places where eggs can
be laid.

Flies can move incredibly fast and can be awfully hard to catch. They are able
to make quick turns to dash out of harm’s way, often out of the way of birds who
would love to make a meal of them.

Territory.
Flies are existent on every continent and in every possible habitat. They can be
found on deserts feeling the sand for rotten flesh or plants. They can be found
within forests on Nybelmar and in the vast
plains and valleys in Sarvonia. Even in cold places they an be found, though
often stealing a home within some poor man’s house.

Habitat/Behaviour.
Flies are fairly independent creatures, coming together only to mate or to share
some feast or an area where they may lay their eggs. They do not make true homes
or houses, but rather merely Fly from place to place, searching for food or
shelter. They are not by any means intelligent creatures, and, even after
bumping into the same window several times, not being able to perceive the
existence of a clear material separating it from whereever it’s trying to go.
Many Flies seem to be attracted by light, especially in the night. Often times
they can be seen buzzing around candles or lanterns, sometimes venturing near
enough to be burned or to fall into the flames.

Diet.
Flies do not eat food, but in fact are only capable of ingesting liquids.
Depending on the species, the kinds of liquids that this creature drinks may
vary. Some drink the blood of animals, usually mammals such as
deer and people. Such Flies can commonly be found around
the stables where they constantly harass the horses,
dogs, cats, and other creatures that reside
there. Still other Flies will drink the juice of fruits by lapping up the
liquids that seep through the skin of the fruit, or else fruits that have fallen
from their tree or have been half-eaten by another animal.
Meldarapples and
lythbéls are some examples of these.

Mating.
Mating occurs rather sporadically among Flies, though it happens more often in
summer than in winter. Mating is a fairly quick. Depending on the species of
Fly, there may be some sort of courtship ritual. Some Fruit Flies, for example,
have elaborate courtship rituals in which the male will put on some display or
make some posture, or perhaps even sing songs. Other species will simply deposit
their sperm in the female and be on their way, though for some species the
female will hold the sperm and use it whenever she pleases. In any case, after a
day or two after being fertilized, the eggs are laid.

The female will lay anywhere from 1 to 250 eggs at a time, depending on the
species and the climate. In her lifetime, the female may lay over one thousand
eggs. Depending on the species, she may simply drop the eggs in the
water or on the ground, or perhaps in some
other animal. Some species will even stack the eggs in neat bundles. The female
lays the eggs through an organ in her abdomen as it seems. When laying her eggs,
the common Housefly will usually push this organ out of her body and on to
decaying plant or animal matter and then lay her eggs. Some species of Fly that
lay their eggs on water will arrange them
into what appear like little rafts. These eggs will float on the
water until they hatch.

The eggs tend to be white or pale yellow, and may look like rizjo. These little
eggs will hatch between 8 and 30 hours, but the time will ultimately depend on
what species of Fly the eggs belong. After hatching, the young Fly larva
emerges, appearing like worms or small caterpillars. These little wrigglers are
known as maggots, and they will live happily in food, garbage, soil,
water, and in dead plants or animals.
Maggots are often associated with death given that they can often be found in
the bodies of the dead. They may be white, brown, or even black. The Fly larva
spends all its time eating and growing, and will molt often as it does. This
worm-like stage may last anywhere from a few days to two years, depending on the
species.

When departing from the larval stage, the young fly becomes a pupa. This is the
final stage before adulthood. Some pupae born into
water are active swimmers, but most that
live on land remain quiet and reserved. To graduate into this stage, the larvae
build a strong, oval-shaped case called a puparium. Some species, like the
caterpillars of the butterfly and moth, may build a cocoon to protect itself.
The pupa may be tan, brown, or black, usually blending in with its surrounding
environment. While inside the puparium, the larva loses its worm-like form and
begins to take the shape of a Fly. When the change is complete, it will break
out of its pupa as an adult. The time within the puparium may vary from species
to species, but for the average Housefly, this stage lasts from three to six
days in hot weather and variably longer in cool weather.

When the Fly leaves the puparium, often its wings will still be soft and moist,
but air dries the wings quickly and blood flows through them to make them stiff.
Usually the wing tissues harden within a few hours or perhaps even a few days,
depending on the species. As soon as this occurs, the Fly will fly away to find
a mate. A Fly does not grow as it gets older, but will emerge from its pupa
stage as a full-grown adult. However, abdomen may shrink or swell with food or
eggs. Most adult Houseflies will live about 30 days in summer, and considerable
longer in winter, when they are less active.
Usages.
Though they can be rather dirty, Flies can be very helpful, too. They carry
pollen from plant to plant on their legs, which are covered in fine hairs, much
in the same way malise do.

Myth/Lore.
The Fly is a creature that seems to be associated with death and disease,
similar to the rat, and it is warned that people should do
their best to rid their houses of these vile insects. This is a warning best
taken, as the Fly does indeed carry certain fatal diseases. The young of the
Flies are also commonly associated with death. Often times, several days after a
battle, the corpses are filled with squirming maggots, and most are rather
disgusted with these worm-like larvae. Despite their representation of death and
plague, though, the fly is not commonly associated with Queprur, elven goddess
of death. The Fly is more commonly thought to be part of a darker, more gruesome
and twisted side to death, and neither their form nor behavior mirrors the
elegance of the Goddess of Death.
Overall, the Fly represents an unnatural death while the rat
represents a fated, more delibrate death.